The best antidepressants, according to hackers
11 antidepressants were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 2 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The two most recommended antidepressants with the badge. Each figure is one person. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Fast, noticeable relief from symptoms
People recommend ketamine for rapid relief from depression, often calling it better than SSRIs. Critics say it is costly, helps only some people, and causes bladder damage and addiction.
Worked when other treatments did not
Antidepressant some say worked when others failed and has fewer side effects than SSRIs. Critics often report raised anxiety, weight loss, and a long side-effect list.
All 11 antidepressants, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied 1 | Ketamine | 12 | 5 | 71% | 7 | — | Approved |
| Tied 1 | Prozac | 12 | 28 | 30% | 4 | 15 yrs3 owners | — |
| Tied 1 | Bupropion | 12 | 3 | 80% | 4 | 3 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| 4 | Lexapro | 8 | 4 | 67% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | Fluoxetine | 6 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | Wellbutrin | 6 | 3 | 67% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | Escitalopram (Lexapro) | 6 | 4 | 60% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Mirtazapine | 5 | 4 | 56% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Sertraline | 5 | 8 | 38% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Venlafaxine | 5 | 1 | 83% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 8 | Citalopram | 5 | 8 | 38% | 2 | 15 yrs3 owners | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same antidepressant in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to antidepressants that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.